He said water is a basic right and it is impossible to deny this right to any section of the community.
He was replying to an insinuation by Kedah menteri besar Sanusi Nor that water shortages faced by residents of Sungai Bakap were due to it being a Malay-majority area.
“How is it possible for us to control water to a constituency or a section of society? Lest we forget, when there was an emergency water cut in January, thousands of people from all walks of life were affected,” he told reporters during a durian session in Acheen Street here today.
In January, a faulty valve at a water plant caused most parts of the state to suffer from disruptions to water supply.
Earlier today, unity government spokesman Fahmi Fadzil criticised Sanusi for alleging that Sungai Bakap residents faced long-standing water woes due to discrimination by the Penang government.
Sanusi claimed, during the launch of Perikatan Nasional’s Sungai Bakap by-election machinery, that there was no water in the constituency because it was a “Tok Lebai” area, implying discrimination based on racial and political lines.
Fahmi condemned Sanusi’s remarks as seditious and racist, and questioned his credibility and leadership.
“Sanusi’s statements are an attempt to sow discord within the community for narrow political gains,” he said, adding that such accusations were irresponsible and inflammatory.
Penang infrastructure, transport and digital committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari also denied claims of favouritism, saying that water issues in Seberang Perai Selatan had been due to a sudden increase in demand.
He said the Penang Water Supply Corporation had undertaken several mitigation projects, including increasing the capacity of the Bukit Panchor water treatment plant and installing new pump tanks in Taman Widuri.
Meanwhile, the Bukit Bendera DAP lodged a police report against Sanusi for defamation and sedition, accusing him of making baseless statements to incite racial tension.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim recently announced an agreement for Perak to supply water to Penang, which is expected to stabilise the supply to areas like Sungai Bakap.